Ninja' s Wisdom
by Phantom Mime
Summary: Collection of oneshots, drabbles, and conversations toward a ninja's wisdom. 36. The door to success is always marked push: Why won't this damn door open!
1. Money

Money is not meant to be served.

Author's note: I'll only say this once. I needed some kind of inspiration for drabbles so I turned to a book called, "8,789 Words of Wisdom." by Barbara Ann Kipfer. I took little phrases that and wrote drabbles to them. These drabbles will be completely random as to who they are about, what couples, who dies, everything. This one is a little NaruHina piece, by the way.

Disclaimer: Naruto and 8,789 Words of Wisdom does not belong to me.

Money is Not Meant To Be Served

(But ramen is)

* * *

Poor Naruto was broke. The little fox had spent the last of his cash on his bills and he was hungry.

He stood across the street from his favorite dine-in. Naruto could smell the ramen and it made his stomach growl. He contemplated for some seconds if it was actually Kyuubi that was growling.

"N-N-N-Naruto?" A voice came from beside him. Naruto turned his head while his eyes lingered on the restaurant before looking at the source of the voice.

"Yes, Hinata?"

"Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, but I'm broke, dattebayo." He whined.

"D-d-d-d-d-do you, um, w-w-wa-, er, would you c-care to, um, join me?" The heiress asked weakly. Her face was the color of Sasuke's favorite snack.

"I'd love to!"

* * *

_Money is not served…_but ramen is. 


	2. Act

Act the part and you will become the part.

Author's note: Um, a little Sasuke centric. The first of very, very many. Just showing a lighter side to Sasuke's obsessive "avengerness".

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Act the Part and You Will Become the Part

(Sasuke is living proof of that)

* * *

All of the ninja children stared at their sensei.

"Okay, class. Today we will learn about undercover missions. We're going to play a game that teaches us how to act." The class responded in groans.

"Everyone, draw a slip of paper when I come by." After each child had their slip of paper, they broke off into groups and started playing the roles on the sheet of paper. The point of the game was for the other ninjas to guess what each other were. Points and candy was awarded to the good actors.

When Sasuke stood up and played his role, no one could guess his role. When the teacher finally asked, he responded.

"I'm an avenger."

"Was that written on your slip?"

"It is now."

* * *

_Act the part and you will become the part._


	3. Yourself

Be Yourself.

Author's Note: Sakura-centric. I like the way this turned out. By the way, for anyone reading this, constructive critisism would be nice. I need help improving my writing. Enjoy the read.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Be Yourself

(It's not always healthy when Sakura is being herself.)

* * *

When Sakura was a genin, she always kept her true feelings and thoughts on the inside. The result was Inner Sakura.

As she grew older and Tsunade trained her to become an excellent shinobi. Tsunade taught Sakura to be herself, along with an exceptionally strong punch. Inner Sakura was no longer needed and eventually went away.

Any person who disagreed with Sakura, was mean to her, or insulted her (particularly Sai) learned what her opinions were and what her fist tasted like.

One time, when Sai decided to ask why Sakura acted the way she did, she responded that she was just being herself.

Sai answered that it wasn't always healthy when Sakura was herself.

* * *

_Be yourself._


	4. Courtesy

Never underestimate the power of simple courtesy.

Author's Note: A little NaruHina. Enjoy.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Never Underestimate the Power of Simple Courtesy

(A dream is born. So is a crush.)

* * *

"Monster!" A child yelled as he pushed a four-year-old Naruto to the ground. The child laughed and ran away. Naruto laid in the spot fighting the tears that wanted to come.

"A-are you okay?" A weak voice asked. Naruto looked up at the small Hyuuga heiress. Of course, at the time he didn't know who or what she was.

"Yeah." He responded. She held out her small hand and he accepted it.

"D-do you want to, um, cry? It's…okay to cry. That, um, looked like it h-hurt."

"Monster's don't cry."

"I-I-I don't think that you're a, um, monster." She answered in a tiny voice.

"Everyone else does. No one likes me."

"I'll l-l-l-l-l-like, um, I mean, you'll f-find someone else, that, um, likes you someday." Hinata answered, starting to blush.

"I know! I'll make people like me! I need to become something that everybody likes! I'll become Hokage!"

That day a dream was born, and so was a crush.

* * *

_Never underestimate the power of simple courtesy._


	5. Look

Never look back.

Author's note: Wow, this one is short! I don't like this one. And spoiler warning. Major spoilers. If you aren't caught up in the manga, turn back. Haha, no pun intended. If you don't get the joke, forget it.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Never Look Back

(He only looked twice.)

* * *

Only twice Sasuke had looked back. When Sasuke was leaving Konoha, Sakura had found him. After he left her on the bench, he looked back and said, "It begins."

After he defeated Naruto, Sasuke barely had the strength to walk away. He did, however, have the strength to look back over his shoulder. After that, he shut his eyes and looked forward. He quit looking back.

Whenever Sasuke fought his old squad two years later, he didn't look back as he fled. Whenever he killed Orochimaru, he didn't look back. After he caused Deidara's death, he didn't look back. After he killed Itachi, he didn't look back, but by then, he had no where to look forward to.

* * *

_Never look back._


	6. Panic

Panic productively.

Author's note: Um, I had the intention of making a SaiSaku, and I guess its still there if you squint, but I changed it up a little. Anyway, Naruto butted his head into this story. Its all pure friends.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Panic Productively

(Sai had never painted so well.)

* * *

The mission had gone horribly wrong. Sai and Yamato had to half-carry, half-drag Naruto and Sakura back to Konoha. Sai was almost convinced that he had been carrying Sakura's corpse back to the village.

Whenever the Naruto and Sakura were in ICU, Sai couldn't sit in the waiting room. He felt a panic rise in him, and it was new and foreign to him. The longer he waited, the worse it felt. Finally, he pulled out some paper and his ink brush. He had to keep himself occupied.

Sai waited and painted in that waiting room for hours. The entire time his teammates were being saved, he produced new pieces of art. When a nurse finally walked over to him and gave him the news that they were okay, he looked at all the art that was scattered around him.

Never before had Sai painted so much and so well in such a short period. He wondered if it would be better if this happened more often. He decided against it.

* * *

_Panic productively._


	7. Communicate

Communicate in a way as to leave as little room as possible for misunderstandings.

Author's note: My absolute favorite piece yet. A short NaruHina piece.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Communicate in a Way as to Leave as Little Room as Possible for Misunderstandings 

(Was Naruto just that dense?)

* * *

Naruto always inspired Hinata to do her best. This time was no different. 

"Do you, um, want to eat?"

"Hell yeah! I think I'll go eat right now, dattebayo!"

"N-no, th-th-th-that's n-n-not…Oh, he's already gone."

* * *

"I really l-l-l-li-, er, really enjoy your company."

"That's because I'm so cool, dattebayo!"

"Y-you are…"

* * *

"Can we, um, uh, do, um, s-something…together?"

"Aren't we already talking?"

* * *

"Do you…l-l-l-like me?"

"Yeah! Who doesn't?"

* * *

"I give up."

"Never give up, Hinata! If you keep trying, you'll finally achieve what you want."

"But I want you."

"What?"

* * *

_Communicate in a way as to leave as little room as possible for misunderstanding._


	8. Death

Don't take life or death to seriously.

Author's Note: Enough fluffy cuteness. Time for a little angst. Angst is something I hardly ever write. I made an exception for Kakashi though. This one turned out kinda short and bad. Proof I don't write angst.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Don't Take Life or Death to Seriously

(In the end, he didn't mind.)

* * *

Kakashi would give up life for his students. He had lost too many people that he cared for in his life. He didn't want to lose anymore.

It was the fourth who taught him to be a shinobi. It was Obito who taught him to value his teammates. It was Rin who taught him to take things lightly and enjoy himself. It was his students that taught him how to be a good sensei.

In the end, when he was dieing from saving his students, he didn't mind. He really didn't mind if Sakura could stop the bleeding. He had friends in this life and the next, so he didn't mind.

* * *

_Don't take life or death to seriously._


	9. Anger

Let anger die quickly.

Author's Note: Um, back to humor. And when I say humor, I mean Sai. Gotta love the guy.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Let Anger Die Quickly

(Observation is the best learning method.)

* * *

The best way to learn new emotions (Sai finally figured out after stubbornly trying to read them), was from observation.

-

In Root, he learned (or forgot how) not to lose his temper in any situation.

He watched Naruto get angry and lose control to Kyuubi many times in fights.

He felt Sakura's anger more often then preferred.

He knew Sasuke's temper was quick to ignite and the younger Uchiha held grudges for a very long time.

Sai couldn't even recall a time that he had seen the masked jounin get angry...yet.

Yamato, from Sai's best judgment, was scary when he was ticked off.

-

Finally, one day on the battlefield, when someone (an enemy who hurt Sakura and left Naruto paralyzed) finally crossed his line, Sai learnt that anger distorted his judgment. Sai decided that the best way to handle the situation was to let his anger die quickly and the man.

* * *

_Let anger die quickly…._Kakashi's method wins!


	10. Tolerate

One who cannot tolerate small ills will never accomplish great things.

Author's Note: I don't like the way this one turned around. I was ready to write pure unadulterated crack, but it came out lame. And it came out a little longer than the others. Hope you people don't mind. I'll put it down anyway. By the way, watch out for some mouthy guy and angry Tsunade's language.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

One Who Cannot Tolerate Small Ills Will Never Accomplish Great Things

(This was never true for Tsunade.)

* * *

In the beginning, Tsunade knew it was going to be a long day. She had woken up late, the pig had left her a present in her room, and her breakfast was cold.

It hadn't been long before she had a long line of clients demanding skilled ninja. Her short patience was wearing dangerously thin.

It was about noon when the blond medic finally cracked. The victim was a client that had been in her office for forty-five minutes and had given her a migraine since the second he stepped in the room. Shizune was at the door, wringing her hands, knowing Tsunade's patience was nearly gone. This could only end in chaos.

"I'll tell you again. You don't need six kunoichi. All of my ninja are separated in squads and if you get six kunoichi, you pay for all six kunoichi's squad."

"That's bullshit. I'm paying for six kunoichi and that's it."

"Why do you need six kunoichi anyway?" Tsunade asked, placing her face in her hands.

"It is my son's birthday."

"…….How old are you?"

"Forty-six."

"How old is your son?"

"He's turning eighteen."

"Why kunoichi?"

"They're supposed to be better than geisha."

"…get out."

"Bitch, I'm paying you."

At that moment, Shizune stepped out of the room. She heard the telltale sounds of the chair smacking the man.

"Please don't throw this guy out the window, Tsunade-sama."

* * *

_One who cannot tolerate small ills will never tolerate great things…_but Tsunade never had much patience. 


	11. Ropes

Know the ropes.

Author's Note: Meh…I was hoping to stick a little smut in here, but it turned out to be fluffy friendship. Here is yet another Sasuke centric piece.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Know the Ropes

(Sasuke always excelled at that.)

* * *

A ninja basic is to escape ropes. Its been that way ever since being a ninja began. Any knot, tie, or situation with ropes, a ninja could escape.

As a child, Sasuke had mastered the techniques and jutsus that enabled you to escape ropes with ease, while the other ninja children struggled.

Whenever he had just graduated academy, he had been jumped and confined to ropes by Naruto. Sasuke had no trouble escaping them.

Whenever he had left Konoha and been tied down by Orochimaru's ropes, Sasuke had no trouble escaping the hideous purple thing. He did, however, like the purple rope as a fashion accessory and kept it, although he could escape it at anytime.

After he was back in Konoha, he had a little more trouble escaping the ropes he was tied with and bvound by. Although sometimes, he didn't mind being bound to his friends and loved ones.

* * *

_Know the ropes._


	12. Eyes

Your eyes are the windows to your soul.

Author's Note: Okay peeps. This is just like a list. Certain characters just get a sentence. I really like this one. By the way, this holds spoilers for whoever hasn't read up on the manga.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Your Eyes Are the Windows to Your Soul

(What you see in a ninja's eyes.)

* * *

Naruto: Sometimes you can see the fox shining through, whether his eyes are open or not.

Sasuke: His eyes reflect the pride and pain of the Uchiha clan.

Sakura: He eyes held a love that was as clear as her eyes were green.

Sai: His eyes had yet to show emotion, so maybe that's why he shut his eyes every time he smiled.

Kakashi: Perhaps that's why his personality completely turned around after getting Obito's eye.

Ino: Her ambition is blue.

Shikamaru: His eyes held the clouds, whether the clouds were out that day or not.

Chouji: His eyes were always on food or Akamaru.

Kiba: His Inuzuka eyes were always looking out for his teammates.

Shino: Does he have a soul?

Hinata: If you looked in her eyes, you'd see Naruto somewhere.

Lee: He has a big soul.

Neji: His eyes were with the birds, flying above.

Tenten: Her eyes held a big sisterly love for her squad.

Orochimaru: His eyes never changed, no matter what body he occupied. Even Kabuto's.

Karin: Her true personality shown through whenever her glasses weren't hiding her eyes.

Suigetsu: His yellow eyes were on that sword of Kisame's, and his eyes held the same lust for blood that Zabuza's held at one time.

Naruto and Hokages: Naruto's eyes were already like the hokages before him.

* * *

_You eyes are the windows to your soul._


	13. Inspire

Inspire your children to live life to the fullest.

Author's Note: I haven't written anything funny in a while. Not like this is funny. Supposed to be sad, but I don't think that I achieved sad. Um, slight spoilers, I guess. Just Kurenai sadness.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Inspire Your Children to Live Life to the Fullest

(Kurenai made sure to do this, because Asuma couldn't.)

* * *

Kurenai always emphasized to her growing child to live life to the fullest. To be the best he could be. She tried her hardest to be the best example for her son.

Whenever her son was going to sleep, she'd tell him stories of Asuma. Even if it hurt, she'd tell him. She'd tell the boy of Asuma's accomplishments, habits (good or bad), failures, and everything else about the deceased man.

Whenever the boy was finally old enough to inquire about his father, Kurenai would tell the boy everything he wanted to know and more. Kurenai felt the need to keep Asuma alive in memories and stories. The boy always listened, greedy for information.

Kurenai always tried to inspire her son to live life to the fullest, since his father couldn't.

* * *

_Inspire your children to live life to the fullest._


	14. History

Throughout history man has attempted to alter his consciousness.

Author's Note: More seriousness. I promise to have something more lighthearted up soon. Probably in a couple of chapters. This one's about Orochimaru and Itachi. Not together, just character centric. I guess you could say this is two drabbles in one? That's why it's a little long.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Throughout History Man Has Attempted to Alter His Consciousness

(That's why they did the things they did.)

* * *

Orochimaru aspired to destroy Konoha. When that dream finally seemed attainable, one thing stood in his way: Sarutobi. The Third Hokage was old, but stood firm in protecting his dear village.

Orochimaru knew in his mind that he could kill the old man. Orochimaru didn't know in his heart if he could or not. That is why he cried when he held the kunai to Sarutobi's neck.

…

Itachi couldn't live with the burden of destroying the entire clan. He still held the eternal Uchiha pride in his veins. It wasn't that Itachi was afraid of what the village would attempt to do to him. He wasn't afraid of hell or whatever was waiting for him. He was afraid of the guilt that he knew would plague him. That is why he left the one person alive that he felt would be the hardest to kill.

He told Sasuke to hate him. It would make it easier for Itachi to fight back against Sasuke and kill him if ever need be. But deep in Itachi's heart, it wasn't true. Leaving Sasuke alive was his small hope for redemption.

* * *

_Throughout history man has attempted to alter his consciousness._


	15. Plans

The best laid out plans of mice and men often go astray.

Author's Note: Okay guys, more seriousness. I am not a serious person, but its all begging to be written. SPOILER ALERT Deidaraness.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

The Best Laid Out Plans of Mice and Men Often Go Astray

(If only Deidara could have followed his plans.)

* * *

Deidara's plan was to kill Itachi using his explosives. He wanted to make the man appreciate and fear his art. He had perfected a certain jutsu just to kill the man. He had trained his left eye to never again fall under a genjutsu again.

Deidara also planned on killing Kakashi as revenge. Unfortunately, when Tobi and Deidara went out searching for the masked jounin, they had found the younger Uchiha instead.

When Deidara fought Sasuke, he planned on winning. It took more effort then Deidara had previously thought. The jutsu he had planned on killing Itachi with, ended up being used on Sasuke. The jutsu still didn't have the proper effect against Uchiha.

Deidara ended up using his last resort. All of his plans had failed before, and he would not have this one go wrong.

"Art is a bang!"

In the end, all of Deidara's plans went astray.

* * *

_The best laid out plans of mice and men often go astray, _un. 


	16. Stand

Do not become what you cannot stand.

Author's Note: First off, I'm so sorry its late! My internet broke today, so I couldn't upload it... I wanted to cry...anyway, for an actual note: more seriousness. I need to get away from Sasuke and Itachi for a while, because here is yet another Sasuke and Itachi centric one. I guess they're just so easy to write for.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Do Not Become What You Cannot Stand.

(The reason Sasuke never killed his friends.)

* * *

One of Sasuke's favorite pastimes was to brood. He thought of a lot of things, but his favorite thing to think about was his revenge.

It was very rare that he sat and compared himself to Itachi, but that was what he was doing now.

Itachi had graduated academy at age eight. Sasuke graduated at twelve. Itachi developed sharingan at age eight. Sasuke developed it at twelve. Itachi became an anbu captain at twelve. Sasuke was still technically considered a genin in his old village.

Itachi developed magenkyou sharingan. Sasuke still doesn't have it. Itachi killed his best friend. Sasuke refuses to kill. Itachi destroyed the family. Sasuke intended on restoring what had been lost.

The only things the two brothers have in common is their genes, status as criminals, and sword wielding, mist ninja partners.

Sasuke refused to become his brother.

* * *

_Do not become what you cannot stand._


	17. Dream

Dream big.

Author's Note: Another list. I will do something humorous or sweet soon.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Dream Big

(Even ninjas are entitled to dream.)

* * *

Naruto: If you don't know this ninja's dream by now, you should be taken out back and shot, believe it.

Sasuke: He wants Itachi's death by his hands and a large family. He wants at least four sons, and all of his children will have black hair and black eyes.

Sakura: She wants Sasuke to love her. Someday, she wants a little girl with pink hair.

Sai: He doesn't quite understand large dreams, so his biggest dream is to finally comprehend basic emotions.

Hinata: Her biggest dream is to have Naruto take her to dinner. She'd be satisfied if she could take him though.

Shikamaru: An ordinary wife with two kids. He doesn't feel that this is attainable anymore, since he is being forced to do troublesome things, and become extraordinary.

Ino: She wants something out of a romance novel to happen to her.

Chouji: He wants food to rain from the skies on his eighteenth birthday.

Lee: He wants Team Gai to all live near each other someday.

Neji: He won't tell anyone, but he wants to fly.

Tenten: She wants a weapon named after her.

Suigetsu: He wants to obtain Kisame's sword, slowly, by first chopping off the right arm, then...

* * *

_Dream big._


	18. Books

Love books.

Author's Note: Gee, this one is cute. Conversation between a student and his sensei. You'll see who.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Love Books

(Only one: Icha Icha)

* * *

"You're reading? I've never seen you read before!" A certain blond hokage exclaimed, staring at his masked student.

"Oh, yeah. Pretty good book. I've picked it up recently and haven't been able to put it down since."

"You know, you should always love books. During the years I've trained you, I've only seen you train, eat, and sleep. It seemed like you thrived on the basic necessities. No entertainment, and no social life."

"I guess so."

"You've changed, Kakashi."

"Sure thing."

"Are you listening to me?"

"Hm? What?"

"What are you reading anyway?"

"Its called Icha Icha Paradise. Great book."

"…you're reading porn?" The fourth hokage stated making a disapproving face.

"Be quiet. It's at a good part."

* * *

_Love books._


	19. World

Let the world come to you.

Author's Note: I'm back on a humorous track. Yay me. Um, I guess you could call this ShikaIno. Or ShikaTema. I dunno. However you want to look at it. By the way, I really need a Kudos bar for pulling out comedy writing.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Let the World Come to You

(Shikamaru liked waiting.)

* * *

"How can you just lay here all day?" Ino stood above Shikamaru, blocking his perfect view of the clouds.

"Uh."

"Do you not sleep at night? Why? How come? Oh! You're doing someone, aren't you? Who? Why? Is it that sand chick, Temari? She'd have to come a long way every night. Is it every night? Or is it someone different every night? That's gross!"

"Uh."

"Shikamaru, you're different. You've changed. Why? Is it because of your responsibilities? How can being around genin all day turn you into a man whore? You're not doing the little genin too, are you? Ew! What about Anko-sensei? No! She wouldn't go with a loser like you."

"Eh."

"Is Chouji like that, too? I can't imagine either one of you getting laid every night. Hell, I don't even want to imagine it. Shikamaru, you're nasty!"

"Troublesome girl…"

"Who, Temari? She got you into all of this? Are you on crack? Oh my gosh! You're doing drugs now? I have got to have a talk with that skank, Temari! I'm gonna have Sakura back me up…" With that, the girl got out of his line of vision. A cloud was directly above him that looked like a fluffy pillow.

* * *

_Let the world come to you._


	20. Worry

Why worry?

Author's Note: Here's a Shizune and Genma piece. I felt that the little phrase, "Why worry?" Matched them perfectly. I really like this little shot. Pure fluffyness. Enjoy reading.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Why Worry?

(Genma was more laid back than Shizune.)

* * *

"It is not going to be okay. Everything's gone wrong. Everyone is going to die. My finger is bleeding. Over half the people aren't even here!"

"It's going to be okay."

"It's not going to be okay! I worked so hard to make this work, but not hard enough! I can't even find Tonton! I think I found a gray hair this morning!"

"…On the pig?"

"No! Me!"

"Don't worry."

"Don't tell me not to worry! Everything is screwed up! Who's going to fix this mess? I'm not capable of fixing it, but no one else is here to help. You don't even care. And she'll be here any second!"

"Calm down."

"I woke up this morning and Tonton had peed on my bed! At lunch, Tsunade-sama took a break and the client arrived early, so I had to deal with them! I think we're going to end up going to war with the Thunder Village because of me."

"Everyone is arriving."

"Do you think everything will be alright?"

"Yes."

"Oh no! Where's the sake? We can't have a birthday party for Tsunade without sake!"

Right then, Tsunade walked into the room. Naruto yelled, "Happy Birthday, Great-Grandma Tsunade!" and Genma kissed Shizune.

* * *

_Why worry?_


	21. Young

You're as young as you feel.

Author's Note: This one is in the exact same day as the previous chapter. They are connected. Read that one first. Oh, and I'll get some seriousness up soon. Maybe in the next chapter, or the next.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

You're as Young as You Feel

(But not look.)

* * *

Tsunade woke up late on a day that she had preferred not come. It was a day that meant she was even older. The woman looked as young as twenty. She had the strength and agility of a twenty-year-old. Tsunade didn't feel young, though. In the bottom of her heart, she hoped to high heavens that everyone forgot their beloved hokage's birthday.

When Tsunade came into her office, she immediately reached into her desk for a bottle of sweet sake. That bottle was empty.

"If there is a birthday party, or celebration, or whatever there is, there better be some sake there."

At lunch, she decided to take herself a break. She let Shizune take over for her as she went to eat and drink up. She only planned on being gone for fifteen minutes. No more. All hell was unleashed in her office those short fifteen minutes.

The day had gone by slowly after that. Around six, she had a meeting with a feudal lord concerning the economical drop that was steadily happening.

Tsunade approached the building and stepped inside. She was greeted with a loud, "Happy Birthday, Great-Grandma-Tsunade!" She swore if that feudal lord and a lot of sake wasn't in the building, she would kill.

* * *

_You're as young as you feel._


	22. Amateur

Everyone is an amateur at death.

Author's Note: This here is a GaaraxMatsuri piece. If you don't know who Matsuri is, she's the fangirly chick that likes Gaara a lot. This piece has a spoiler, I guess. Its about Gaara, but I think everyone knows what's happened to Gaara by now.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Everyone is an Amateur at Death

(Except Gaara)

* * *

"Um, Lord Kazekage?" Matsuri stood in the doorway to Gaara's office.

"Yes?"

"Um, well…" Matsuri placed her hands behind her back. She had a question to ask Gaara. In truth, it was her group of friends and her that had originally wondered the question. She had jumped at the opportunity to talk to her kazekage, but now, she wasn't so sure of herself.

"What was it like?" She asked. Gaara gave her a questioning look.

"To die?"

"Oh. Matsuri, please have a seat. I'll tell you about it if you really want to hear." His voice was quiet, smooth, and soft.

"Oh, yes! I'd love to hear about it!" Matsuri exclaimed lovingly as she sat across from her kazekage.

* * *

_Everyone is an amateur at death…_except Gaara. 


	23. Love

Never put off saying, "I love you."

Author's Note: I'm puttng up two since I couldn't put any up yesterday. Here is the serious piece that I've been promising to bring up. A little sad. It made me sad writing it. It's SasuSaku. Um, they are my OTP, and this is the first piece that I've posted that I have written for them. How ironic. Boy, this one is short.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Never Put Off Saying, "I Love You."

(Sakura never hesitated. Sasuke did.)

* * *

"I love you so much!" Sakura had told Sasuke often.

Before the Uchiha left Konoha, Sakura told him.

Twice when he was a missing nin, she told him.

When Sasuke had finally returned to Konoha, she told him everyday.

On a mission, she had taken the blow in his place. As she lay dieing on the ground, she told him she loved him. Sasuke hesitated to respond, and he lost his chance. She never heard him.

* * *

_Never put off saying, "I love you."_


	24. Help

Take all the help you can get.

Author's Note: I'm back on this humor track, and I can't get back on the serious one. A tad bit spoilerish, for those who don't read the manga.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Take All the Help You Can Get

(That's what Team Hebi was for.)

* * *

Sasuke was stubborn about it for a long time, but the avenger finally gave in. He might need a little help getting to and destroying his brother. He contemplated this for a long time. He considered who? And when?

When Sasuke finally got all his plans together, and put his plan into action, Team Hebi was born. Suigetsu, Karin, and Juugo were gathered and all willingly joined Sasuke for their own reasons.

"Why are we called, 'Team Hebi'?" Suigetsu asked one day, taking one of his many drink breaks.

"I'm the leader and I picked the name." Sasuke answered from his spot on a patch of grass.

"Well, I kinda agree with Suigetsu. Team Snakes is going to kill Akatsuki. We need a more memorable name." Juugo said, throwing in his two cents.

"Nobody asked you." Suigetsu sneered.

"Hn." Sasuke answered the conversation.

"That means Sasuke doesn't care what you two think." Karin started, crossing her arms. With that statement, yet another argument was born.

Sasuke needed all the help he could get, but his patience was wearing thin.

* * *

Another Author's Note: Okay, now I'm gonna put up a list of all ideas that didn't make it. Dunno why they didn't make it.

Don't disregard your mistakes: Advice that Sai held dear.

Love always eases pain: Sakura can help Sasuke.

Use your memory to make life more enjoyable: Sai clung to his memories.

Love without expectations: Sakura expected nothing from Sasuke.

Most things in life are taken for granted: Orphans knew better though.

It is better for happiness to find you than always be searching for it: Tenten found Neji.

Barking dogs seldom bite: That doesn't mean stick your hand in their face, un!

Kisses are meant to be returned: Naruto and Sasuke disagree.

Time becomes precious when there is less of it: She was dying.

Believe in the goodness of others: Naruto could always find it.

Look back at your ancestors for strength: Sasuke did.

The truth can come out at the wrong time: But Kakashi was such a habitual liar.

Most discoveries are made by error: Its what got Orochimaru started.


	25. Smell

A smell can change your mood.

Author's Note: I'm finally getting around to writing about all the squads. If you can guess what squad this is about from the name, you deserve a cookie.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

A Smell Can Change Your Mood

(Who farted?)

* * *

It was another normal day among squad eight when…

"Oh my God! My nose! The stench!" Kiba yelled as he dropped to his knees.

"K-Kiba? What's wrong?" Hinata asked, dropping to his side.

"Somebody farted! I mean, they just let it out! My eyes burn!" Kiba yelled again. Hinata and Shino exchanged glances.

"Who did it?" Kiba suddenly jumped to his feet and pointed back and forth between his squad.

"I-I didn't!" Hinata eclaimed. Shino just shook his head.

"Maybe it was Akamaru." Shino finally pointed out after fifteen seconds of silence.

"No way! If it was Akamaru, he'd fess up! Now confess!"

"It was neither of us. Was it you?"

"…Maybe."

* * *

_A smell can change someone's mood._


	26. Friends

Know your children's friends.

Author's Note: This one is more of a oneshot than a drabble. It was begging, "Write me! Make me long and full of undetailed conversation! Write me!" I couldn't resist its little helpless pleas.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Know Your Children's Friends

(The Haruno's wanted to meet the squad.)

* * *

Sasuke, Naruto, and Sai awkwardly (except Sai) stood in front of a house. The house was nice, but nothing extraordinary. It didn't have a porch, but had flowers in the windows. It gave of the air of a happy family living inside.

Sai finally reached his gloved hand up and rang the little doorbell beside the door handle. They could hear the echo of the ring from the outside. After that, they waited. Naruto started fidgeting and Sasuke started rubbing the back of his neck. Sai just stood still.

After forty-five complete seconds of waiting, they heard the sounds of someone unlocking and opening the door. It only opened enough for the person who opened the door to stick out their head a couple of inches. A pink mess of hair with a large forehead poked out first, and the rest of Sakura's head followed.

"…Hey guys. Um, come inside." She cracked the door open further. "I'm really sorry about this. You can still back out now." The last part was whispered. "Last chance."

Naruto bravely shook his head. "No, we're good." With that, the three stepped inside the homely little house and Sakura shut the door behind them. The three stared at the living room. It had a couch, love seat, and a recliner chair that was all the same floral pattern. The colors even matched the carpet.

A woman and a man entered through a hallway on the left. The woman had dark black hair and green eyes. The man had the same shade of hair that Sakura had. Neither one of them had a large forehead.

The three's eyes widened and Naruto brought a hand to his mouth. From behind his fingers, he stifled a laughter that was dying to come out.

"Um, I'll introduce you guys." Sakura started. She pointed at her squad and said there names then pointed at the adults and introduced them as Mr. and Mrs. Haruno.

"Come on into the kitchen! We have dinner sitting on the table. There aren't enough chairs for all of us, so we'll be eating in here." Sakura's mother smiled.

As the three walked into the kitchen (which was through the hallway that Sakura's parents had come through), Naruto whispered to Sasuke, "So far so good."

"Hn." Was the stoic boy's response.

There was a large meal on the table. In the center was a roasted chicken and several bowls of soup. There was a tray that held several vegetables, including tomatoes. Sasuke suspected that Sakura had made sure that was set up. There was several empty plates and bowls for the group to use with chopsticks laying in a pile next to the dishes.

After everyone had served themselves, they were brought back into the living room with the floral furniture. The boys sat on the couch, Sakura's parents seated themselves on the loveseat and Sakura sat on the recliner. They stated their thanks, and started eating.

"So, tell me. Which one of you boys is the guy my daughter claims to be in love with?" The pink haired man asked, soon after everyone started eating.

"Dad!" Sakura yelled. Her father raised a hand to shush her and looked at the boys. No one answered, but Sai and Naruto were looking at the Uchiha from the corners of their eyes. That was all Sakura's father needed.

"You? What makes you good enough to earn my daughter's affection?"

"…Hn." Was Sasuke's only response. Before the father could continue, Sai brought up another conversation.

"Where did hag get her forehead?"

"What did you call my daughter?" Sakura's father stood up, yelling.

"I'm not sure." The woman stated as she put some noodles in her mouth.

"Dad! Sit down!"

"He just called you a hag!"

"Let it go, Dad!" Finally, the man sat down. Before that conversation could go any further downhill, Sakura's mother brought up another topic.

"Um, doesn't he look like a boy I dated before?" She asked, pointing at Naruto. The fox boy started choking on a piece of meat.

"I don't know. I didn't keep up with all the guys you dated." Sakura's father replied.

"He looks like…the fourth hokage." Sakura's mother stated, putting more noodles in her mouth. Then she looked at Sasuke. "Was your mother Makoto?"

"…Yeah."

"She was married to Fugaku, wasn't she?"

"…Yeah."

"Mom, can you change the subject?"

"Wait, I'm on a roll." She answered. Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Fugaku was your father?" Sakura's father asked, loudly. Sasuke nodded, starting to get annoyed. The man put down his food and walked out of the room.

"Sakura, go calm your father down."

"Yes, Mom." The pink-haired kunoichi walked out of the room.

"Why was he mad about that?" Naruto asked.

"Him and Fugaku were enemies in the old days. In academy, Fugaku always called my husband, 'Fag.' Also, when my husband had a crush on me, I was dating Fugaku. I called him, 'Cube'. It was my loving nickname for him, since he had such a square head." She put more noodles in her mouth. Naruto stifled laughter. Sai raised a dark eyebrow and Sasuke glared.

Finally the man came back in with Sakura following him. They both took a seat and resumed eating. The boys could only wonder what Sakura did to calm the man down.

"…Do you like my daughter?" The man asked.

"Who?" Naruto answered. "Because I do. We've been on the same squad forever, and we're good friends. Uh, I had a crush on her when we were genin."

"Have you ever been promoted?" Sakura's mother asked.

"Uh, well, not yet, but that's because I've been too busy to take the chuunin exams." Naruto started to rub the back of his neck.

"Sakura and I are friends." Sai said after Naruto finished. All eyes turned to Sasuke after that.

"She has potential." He finally said after several seconds of silence.

"…Potential for what?" Her father asked. "To have your children? All you want her for is sex? Is that it?"

"Dad!"

"To be a mother?"

"Dad!"

"…To be a good ninja. She is already about to surpass Tsunade in medical skills." Sasuke stated, his face taking a light red shade.

"Uh, you embarrassed the boy!" Sakura's mother pointed at Sasuke's face. Sasuke let out a noise and crammed a tomato in his mouth. The avenger was grateful for the tomatoes.

"Sasuke…" Sakura started and Sasuke glared. The father crossed his arms.

"Boys, what are your goals in life?"

"To become hokage! That is my dream!"

"Are you working to make that dream a reality?" Mr. Haruno asked.

"Yeah." Naruto blinked, not used to being answered.

"And yours?" He looked at Sai.

"To get these emotions down." He answered simply. This time it was Sakura's father's turn to blink.

"Okay…." He looked at Sasuke. "Yours?"

"I've already gotten revenge."

"Isn't that the reason you became a criminal?"

"I had to get more power, but that's behind me. All that's left for me to do is restore my clan."

"You do want my daughter for sex! You-" The man started to yell, but a plate hit him in the face before he could continue.

"Dad! Drop it!"

"Do any of you want dessert?" Mrs. Haruno asked.

"Hell yeah!" Naruto exclaimed. Sai nodded and Sasuke shrugged. The woman stood up and walked out. The group sat in silence, listening to the sounds resonating from the kitchen. The woman came back with plates that carried pie.

"A foreign recipe. I found it at the store, so I decided this was a good occasion to try it out. Tell me what you think." Each person took a plate and started eating. In between bites, Naruto commented on how good it was.

"It'd be better with whip cream." Sasuke finally said. The woman nodded and came back with the fluffy stuff.

"So, you cook?" Mr. Haruno asked Sasuke.

"…Yes."

"Are you any good?"

Sasuke felt like he should be suspicious. "Not really. Living alone kind of makes it where you have to cook." The man nodded.

"Have you had your first kiss?"

Sasuke jumped back a little. "Why?" He felt afraid and suspicious as to why a grown man would be asking him that.

"Dad! That's none of your business!"

"Quiet, Sakura. This is just conversation." The man looked at Sasuke. "Just curious." Naruto started coughing.

"Hn."

"You haven't?" The man inquired. Sasuke finally nodded.

"I…have."

"Who?"

"…None of your damn business."

"I heard it was with Naruto." Sai stated. Sasuke glared at the artist and Naruto kept coughing. The pink-haired man nodded.

"Just as I suspected."

"What does that mean?" Sasuke glared at the man.

"Dad!"

"You're gay."

"Honey, he could have just been experimenting."

"DAD! Mom!"

"I am not. I can't be gay if I'm going to restore my clan. And I wasn't experimenting. Someone pushed Naruto onto me." Sasuke's voice had an angry edge to it.

"Why else would you not want my daughter?"

"…" Sasuke answered with silence.

"DAD!" Sakura stood up and stabbed her father with a fork. "How dare you! I told you to leave that subject alone!"

"His being gay? You never said anything about that!"

"Sasuke's love interest period!" Sakura started growling. She grabbed the man by the forearm and dragged him out of the room.

"That was interesting." Sakura's mother giggled. Then she looked at Sasuke. "You're shy, aren't you?"

"How come no one accused Naruto of being gay?" Sai asked.

"Because everyone knows I'm that straight!" Naruto announced pointing at himself. Sakura's father and Sakura walked back into the room after the statement.

"I still think the boy is gay." Mr. Haruno finished something from a conversation that the boys couldn't hear.

"Drop it, Dad."

"Fine."

"The only reason you accused me of being gay was because my father accused you of the same thing years ago." Sasuke stated, taking a sip of tea. Sakura stared in horror at Sasuke.

"Why...you!" The man yelled through gritted teeth. A vein was visible popping onhis forehead.

"You guys should probably go home." Sakura grabbed Naruto, Sai, and Sasuke in one swoop and dragged them out the front door. "Thank you for coming over, I hope you had a good time. Let's not do that again, okay? Goodbye." All of her words were rushed and she slammed the door shut after they reached outside. The only thing the boys could do was stare at each other and listen to the argument that was taking place inside.

* * *

_Know your children's friends._


	27. Lines

Read between the lines.

Author's Note: Time for…..Team Gai! A little drabble for Team Gai. Poor Tenten, if you're a guy, you might not understand what's wrong with Tenten. I avoided mentioning it period, in this story. By the way, I think every girl is entitled to a day like this.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Read Between the Lines

(Some guys aren't good at that.)

* * *

Tenten had been late to training. She hadn't felt well, so she woke up late. Lee, Gai, and Neji had waited and when she finally arrived, Tenten was greeted with a lecture from her sensei on the power of youth. She mumbled an apology and Gai announced loudly:

"Since the Blossom of Youth was late and we couldn't start early we must run more laps and finish them faster in order to make up for what we lost."

"Damn." Tenten mumbled. That earned some gasps from her squad.

"How many?" She asked, gritting her teeth.

Before Gai could answer, Tenten started talking again. "You know what? Never mind. I'm going home. I don't feel up to training today."

"What's your problem?" Neji asked, not really wanting to be left alone with Lee and Gai.

"Yes! Tenten, you should never skip training!" Lee nodded.

"Tenten, why would you skip training with your squad of youth?"

"All of you! You want to know what my problem is?" Tenten held up three fingers. "Read between the lines."

Team Gai decided after Tenten left, that they didn't want to know.

* * *

_Read between the lines._


	28. Gossip

There is a difference between new and gossip.

Author's Note: Even more humor. Today isn't my writing day, if you know what I mean. I don't even think that this one follows the saying that much. More gossip than news. By the way, I'm bringing Ino in again. That should tell you the direction this story is going.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

There is a Difference Between News and Gossip

(So is he gay or not?)

* * *

"Ino, how many ninjas in Konoha are gay?" Sakura inquired of her best friend from a chair inside the Yamanaka floral shop.

"Good question. You can normally tell if someone is gay from the way they act."

"So who is gay?"

"Well, think about who acts gay."

"Lee's not gay. He likes me."

"Okay, who looks gay."

"…Neji?"

"He might be. I bet Hinata would know, living with him and all."

"Hm."

"What about Sasuke?"

"He doesn't look gay!"

"I know. But think about it."

"I'm thinking."

"Well, him and Naruto kissed."

On accident!"

"Sasuke has a million fan girls, and he turned every single one of them down."

"But-"

"I think he's hiding it."

"Ino-"

"Don't stop me. I'm on a roll."

"Ino-"

"Shut-"

"Hn."

"Is that Sasuke?"

* * *

_There is a difference between news and gossip._


	29. Blind

Love is blind.

Author's Note: When I read that I thought, "Hinata." So, this one is a bit of a NaruHina. By the way, Ino's in this one too. We all know what that means.

Standard disclaimer applied. (I'm getting tired of writing that.)

* * *

Love is Blind

(But Hinata has Byakugan)

* * *

One day Ino asked Hinata what she saw in Naruto. After two minutes of Hinata's stuttering, she finally answered.

"He-he's amazing." Her face was the color of Sakura's shirt.

"What makes him amazing?" Ino placed her hands on her hips.

"H-h-his determination, his s-strength, um, everything about him."

"Okay…do you think he's good looking?"

"Oh! He's, um, c-c-cu-"

"I get the point. Do you think he's hot? Because cute can be a good thing, but hot's better, and by the way, I don't think he's hot at all."

"Oh! Um, I-I."

"Never mind. Jeez, I swear, now I know what they mean when they say, 'Love is blind.'"

"B-but I have Byakugan!"

"…You use that to stalk him."

* * *

_Love is blind._


	30. Enjoy

We are surrounded by others; we can choose to enjoy them or not

Author's Note: Hey, guys! I'll eventually getting around to writing about everybody, and here's Kakashi's squad. I considered not putting this one up, because it has absolutely no plot. I know the rest of my stories here have no plot, but this is the worst. The reason I did put it up, was because Obito asked me too.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

We Are Surrounded By Others; We Can Choose to Enjoy Them or Not

(Kakashi never enjoyed his squad)

* * *

"Sorry I'm late!" Obito yelled while he ran up to his awaiting squad. The Uchiha was out of breath.

"What's the excuse this time?" His sensei asked with an amused tone.

"There was this lady-" Obito started to say, but was interrupted.

"Its going to be ridiculous. Can we start training now that he's here?" Kakashi asked while staring at his blond sensei with half opened eyes. Rin nodded in agreement.

"Let him finish. Continue, Obito." The soon-to-be fourth hokage smiled.

"Okay. This lady, she went into labor in the middle of the street! No one had any phones on them, so I had to run and get help."

"Why didn't anyone run into a building and use a phone?" Rin asked, putting a finger to her chin.

"Because a squirrel killed itself using the phone line. You should have seen the sucker. Fried like chicken." Kakashi and Rin grimaced at what Obito was saying. "Anyway, the lady named the kid after me!" Obito was grinning widely.

"Good for you." Obito's sensei stated, while rubbing his forehead.

"What kind of training are we going to do today?" Rin asked, looking at her sensei.

"Same kind as everyday! Teamwork exercises!" He answered simply. Kakashi and Obito groaned.

Kakashi wasn't fond of his squad. At all.

* * *

_We are surrounded by others; we can choose to enjoy them or not._


	31. Down

Even the happiest people have down days.

Author's Note: Yet another NaruHina. They are so easy to write for. This one is…decent. I guess.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Even the Happiest People Have Down Days

(Naruto just needed some cheer.)

* * *

They had failed to bring Sasuke back. That single burden had been weighing Naruto down for the past week. The blond fox boy didn't even have much of an appetite.

"I can't believe we failed. We haven't even seen him in years, and he was too strong." Naruto moped to himself as he sat down on a bench. He buried his face in his hands and moaned.

"Um, N-Naruto-kun?" A voice came from somewhere around him. He lifted his face slowly out of his hands and looked at the girl that had addressed him. It was the Hyuuga heiress, Hinata.

"Do-do you, um, m-m-mind of I, um, sit with you?" She gulped and played with her fingers. Naruto nodded slightly, and Hinata sat down.

"Y-you've been really d-down lately, Naruto-kun." She stuttered to him.

"Yeah, I failed to bring Sasuke back. I was too weak." Naruto mumbled.

"I-I don't think you're weak." She said quietly.

"Thanks, but that won't bring him back."

"Oh! Uh, th-th, oh, I m-meant that you're strong enough t-to become stronger. Er, um, you can become strong enough to bring him back. You're d-determined…like that." Hinata wanted to mentally shoot herself. Naruto lifted his head and stared at her. Her face burned under his gaze. Then, a grin spread over his features. The smile seemed not only to reach his face, but his entire body seemed to lighten up.

"You know what? You're right!" Naruto stood up. "I will become strong enough to bring him back! In fact, I'll go train right now! Thanks, Hinata! You're great! And smart! Well, I gotta go!" With that, the boy ninja took off.

Hinata just sighed and smiled.

* * *

_Even the happiest people have down days._


	32. Innocence

Innocence can only be taken away once.

Author's Note: Well, here is a serious one. Took me eternity to finally write one. Anybody guess who its dedicated too? You get a cookie if you guessed it from his summary.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Innocence Can Only Be Taken Away Once

(His was taken when he was eight.)

* * *

In the life of a ninja, innocence is something that is rare. Ninjas have it stripped away from them early. Sasuke had it taken away from him early on and in an unimaginable way.

From that moment, Sasuke had vowed to become an avenger. Over the years, he was so enveloped in hate, he started to forget what he was avenging. He just knew he was wronged at a young age and he should kill the man who did it. He was no longer avenging his family, just himself.

Sasuke vowed never to stoop as low as Itachi. The younger Uchiha would never kill his friends, but over time he forgot even what those relationships felt like. He knew teammates and hate, but he had forsaken the feelings and knowledge of love and friendship.

He grew into a man that lost his friends, family, and innocence.

* * *


	33. Light

There is always a light at the end of tunnel.

Author's Note: Wow, this one coming right after the last one. Ironic. Um, when reading this one, I guess you can disregard the last drabble, because I kinda go back on what I said a little bit. Wow, hypocrisy. By the way, when it says green, it's the medic light. Not her eyes. I had someone (my sister) ask me how he saw her eyes. Somewhat of a SasuSaku.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

There is Always a Light at the End Of the Tunnel

(His light was green.)

* * *

Sasuke had done it. After years of training, hating, and searching he finally found his older brother and killed him.

The fight had been hard. It was the most difficult thing that Sasuke had ever had to go through, harder than losing his family. After all the years of hating the man, Sasuke still hadn't been completely mentally ready to kill him, but he had prevailed, and now the younger Uchiha lay next to his brother's corpse, dying.

Many thoughts flew through Sasuke's mind. He wondered if Team Hebi was still alive. Sasuke would've turned his head to look around, but his throat had been sliced during the battle. He started wondering about his friends in Konoha, as to how they would take the news, and what they would do.

Sasuke felt a wave of nausea and was overcome with dizziness. He tried to focus on the ceiling above him, but his eyesight was getting weaker. Death was upon him, and he knew it. Sasuke wanted to feel happy. He had finally competed his life goal, but he felt panged by regret. His thoughts once again drifted to Naruto and Sakura. He suddenly wished he could see them one last time, but he knew it was too late.

Sasuke could no longer see. The world around him was a void of darkness and numbness. He wondered if he was dead or if he was in the tunnel that people talked and joked about. He felt himself turn his neck, but he could no longer feel the pain. He stared at a point, and suddenly he **could **feel the pain, but with a new life force.

A light was at the end of the tunnel. He stared at it, dumbly. Then he heard an angel's voice.

"Sasuke! Don't die! I'm here! Its Sakura! Please, don't die!"

The light was green.

* * *

_There is always a light at the end of the tunnel._


	34. Life

Show up for life.

Author's Note: A funny attempt at Kakashi-sensei. I guess you could take what he says seriously at first, but he's good at ruining that. Also, on another note: Thank you guys so much who review. Especially Akane Noami.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Show Up For Life

(It was having a roll call!)

* * *

It had started out a fine morning for the three genin of Squad 7. The day was beautiful and all three showed up early for training. Even Sasuke was in a good mood. There was a hope in the air that even their late sensei would be early...but their hope was in vain.

The time rolled by slowly. Soon, Kakashi was ten minutes late. Then, twenty. The time went on. Soon, their good moods were crushed.

It was almost an hour and a half before Kakashi showed up. The masked jounin had showed up with the traditional "poof!"

"You're late!" Naruto and Sakura yelled together. Sasuke glared at the man.

"I had to show up for life."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto yelled.

"Liar!" Sakura yelled.

"But you can't even show up for training?" Sasuke asked, his voice heavy with annoyance. Kakashi blinked and looked at the Uchiha.

"You don't understand. Life was having a roll call. What took so long was all the missing people." The students groaned. "You three were marked as absent from life."

* * *

_Show up for life._


	35. Eat

Eat what you like.

Author's Note: Crack. Pure crack. Somehow, the only time I can write pure angst or crack, its always about the same person. Sasuke is so weird. But still, I'm proud of this one. Honestly though, I could've done this about Chouji, but Sasuke wanted his shot at humor.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

Eat What You Like

(You can never eat tomatoes again.)

* * *

The fight had left Sasuke nearly dead. His friends from Konha had shown p in the nick of time, and saved his life. Now, he was in a hospital fully recovering from the fight. After he healed, the avenger would receive his punishment.

Sasuke had a lot of injuries. He didn't even know where half of them were. He did know that his head hurt, it was difficult to pee without help (although the stoic man would never ask for help), and he wasn't allowed to talk because his throat had been sliced real bad.

Sakura entered his room. During his stay at the hospital, she was his nurse. Today, she was bringing him the results of his last check-up.

The pink-haired medic opened her mouth to speak. "Sasuke-kun, I have bad news." She had a clipboard in hr hands.

"…"

"You know how your throat was diced up like a tomato?"

"…"

"And you aren't allowed to talk?"

"…"

"Well, have you been talking to some to your visitors?"

"…"

"You see, your throat has scars from where you've used your voice box before it has healed. If it was any worse, you'd never be able to talk again. Fortunately, its not that bad…yet. Sasuke-kun, your throat is now very sensitive to certain acids."

"…"

"What I'm trying to get at, is that you'll never be able to eat tomatoes again. Not if you want to continue talking."

"!"

"Well, see you later!" Sakura smiled and stepped out. Sasuke watched her retreating figure with a melancholy air.

After Sakura got out of there, she approached Tsunade.

"How'd he take it?" The blond medic smirked.

"The perfect punishment."

* * *

_Eat what you like._


	36. Push

The Door to Success is always marked push.

Author's Note: Um, this little piece is about our lovable Naruto. Once again, thanks to those who've reviewed my stuff.

Standard disclaimer applied.

* * *

The Door to Success is Always Marked Push

(Why won't this damn door open?!)

* * *

It was the day that Naruto had been waiting for his entire life. It was the day of his inauguration into being Hokage. Naruto would be the Rokudaime.

Naruto was awake early, because the young man could barely sleep the night before from the excitement. Yet, even with the lack of sleep, Naruto was running on his the energy that his excitement created. The blond fox had kept his wife awake most of the night with him.

The inauguration was to be held at four. The day couldn't have gone by slower. When four o' clock finally did come, Naruto was early to the office. From there, he had to head to the arena where for all of Konoha to hear a speech given by their old and new Hokages.

When Naruto arrived, he stood in front of the back door that would lead him up the steps to the balcony that would stand in front of all Konoha.

The blond turned and smiled at his closets friends. Sasuke, Sakura, Sai, Kakashi, and his wife, Hinata stood smiling back at him. Naruto nodded at them and turned toward the door. He grabbed the handle, and pulled.

The door didn't budge. Naruto gave a nervous chuckle and pulled again. The door still didn't move. The smile was gone by now.Naruto grabbed the door with both hands and tugged as hard as he could. The door remained unmoving.

"Why won't this damn door open? Open, dattebayo! Open!" Naruto yelled, pulling with all his might. The boy let go of the handle and backed up, preparing to ram it down. Then, he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. He looked at Hinata, and she softly pushed the door open.

"…I love you so much, dattebayo." He laughed, giving her a hug.

* * *

_The door to success is always marked push._


End file.
